The present invention relates to a vertical magnetic recording and playback apparatus and, more particularly, to a vertical magnetic recording and playback apparatus in which a magnetic tape is transported between a main and an auxiliary magnetic poles of a vertical magnetic head for vertically recording and reproducing signals in and out of the tape.
A prior art magnetic recording and playback apparatus of the type described is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application No. 59-31087/1984 entitled "Magnetic Recording and Playback Apparatus". Where the disclosed type of apparatus is applied to a video tape recorder, for example, which is adapted to record and reproduce signals which lie in a high frequency range, a vertical magnetic head which is made up of a main and an auxiliary magnetic poles and a magnetic tape need to be constantly driven at a high relative speed. To meet this requirement, the magnetic head in accordance with the prior art apparatus is situated near the outer periphery of a rotary guide drum, while a magnetic tape is transported wrapping around the guide drum.
The prerequisite with the above-stated prior art apparatus is that in order that the tape may be transported between the main and auxiliary magnetic poles of the head, which is substantially U-shaped, the tape be passed over the guide drum obliquely upwardly and then obliquely downwardly in a generally U-configuration. In practice, however, transporting the tape in such a configuration around the guide drum cannot be implemented without resorting to a complicated tape transport path. In addition, since the tape is transported wrapping obliquely around the guide drum, the vertical dimension of the guide drum and, therefore, that of the whole apparatus cannot be reduced beyond a certain limit.